Shed Release
De-shedding for double-coated dogs: Shed Release and the right bath
Huskies, labs, goldens, shepherds, Bernese and every retriever mix on Cape Ann drop their undercoat twice a year, and the sand from Wingaersheek makes it worse. Here is what Shed Release does, what it does not do, and when in the year to book it.
Who it helps
Double coats, retrievers and the spring blow
Shed Release is for dogs with an undercoat: huskies, malamutes, German shepherds, golden and Labrador retrievers, Bernese mountain dogs, Australian shepherds, corgis, and the countless lab and shepherd mixes that fill our playgroups. These coats do not need a haircut. They need the dead undercoat lifted out before it falls out, twice a year in earnest and a little all the time. If your dog leaves a tumbleweed on the kitchen floor every March and again in September, this is the appointment.
It is not for doodles, poodles or any single-coated dog; those coats mat rather than shed and belong on the goldendoodle grooming page. It also does not stop shedding altogether. No treatment does, and we will not tell you otherwise. What a good de-shed does is take out in one afternoon what would otherwise come out over three weeks on your car seats and your fleece.
- Huskies, shepherds, retrievers, Bernese, Aussies, corgis and their mixes
- Any dog blowing coat in March and April or September and October
- Beach dogs whose undercoat is holding sand and salt after a swim
- Not for doodles or poodles, whose single coats mat rather than shed
The treatment
What Shed Release actually involves, tub to table
The work happens mostly in the tub and under the dryer. A de-shedding shampoo and conditioner loosen the undercoat, then a high-velocity dryer blows the released hair out in sheets while the coat is still damp. You would be surprised how much of a husky comes off at this stage. On the table we finish with an undercoat rake and a slicker brush, working in lines so the tool reaches the skin along the back, the hips and the thick ruff around the neck.
Because the treatment rides on a bath, you also get the bath: warm wash, blow-dry and brush-out. Add nail clipping at $16 and teeth brushing at $10 if you want the full tidy-up. A double-coated dog is never shaved for shedding at Dogtown. The topcoat protects the skin from sun and cold, and clipping it off does not reduce the undercoat that causes the mess. If someone has told you to shave your husky for the summer, ask our groomers first.
- 01
Drop off at a window; tell us if your dog is mid-blow or just starting
- 02
De-shedding shampoo and conditioner in the tub to loosen the undercoat
- 03
High-velocity dry that blows out the released coat while it is damp
- 04
Undercoat rake and slicker brush on the table, in lines down to the skin
- 05
Ears, nails and teeth if booked, then a final brush
- 06
Home with a coat that stays put for weeks, and $5 off if you rebook at the desk
Prices
$10 on top of the bath, which runs $55 to $95 by size
Shed Release is $10 added to any bath or full-service appointment. The bath is priced by weight: $55 up to 25 pounds, $65 for 26 to 50 pounds, $75 for 51 to 90 pounds, $85 over 90 pounds, and $95 for an extra-large dog with long hair, which is where a Newfoundland or a long-coated Bernese sits. A 70-pound golden therefore pays $75 for the bath and $85 with Shed Release. Nothing else is required.
Dogs on the unlimited daycare membership take 15 percent off grooming, overnight guests on the Classic bundle take 10 percent and Deluxe guests 15 percent. Book your next appointment at pick-up and $5 comes off that one. If your dog is a daycare regular, the simplest routine is a bath with Shed Release on a daycare day every spring and fall, with a plain bath in between when the beach gets to the coat.
| Dog size | Bath only | Shed Release | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 lb | $55 | $10 | $65 |
| 26 to 50 lb | $65 | $10 | $75 |
| 51 to 90 lb | $75 | $10 | $85 |
| Over 90 lb | $85 | $10 | $95 |
| Extra large, long hair | $95 | $10 | $105 |
Timing
Book it in April and again in September, and after the beach
New England double coats blow twice: the winter undercoat comes out as the days lengthen in March and April, and the summer coat goes in September and October as the nights cool. Book Shed Release at the start of each blow rather than the end, so the treatment takes the coat out before it takes itself out. Mud season on Cape Ann, March into April, is also when a lab comes home from Dogtown Common caked to the belly, so the timing works twice over.
Beach sand is the other trigger. Gloucester's beaches take dogs from October 1 to April 30, Good Harbor on even-numbered days and Wingaersheek on odd, and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea from October 15 to April 14. Sand works into an undercoat and stays there, and salt dries the skin so the coat lets go faster. A bath with Shed Release after a heavy beach month resets the coat. From April through November, the brush-out also turns up ticks the eye misses in a thick ruff; we tell you about any we find.
- Spring: book in March or April as the winter coat lifts
- Fall: book in September or October as the summer coat drops
- After a heavy beach month between October and April
- Any time the undercoat is holding sand, salt or mud
Getting here
Windows, the Pup Van and a de-shed on a daycare day
Bring your dog to 210 Eastern Ave inside a drop-off window: 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM or 4 to 6:30 PM on weekdays, and 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM or 4 to 6 PM on Saturdays. For $10 each way the Pup Van picks up in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea; owners outside those four towns can ask the front desk for a price.
Daycare dogs can have the bath and Shed Release added to their day, so a husky who plays all morning is bathed after lunch and goes home dry at the 4 to 6:30 PM window. Overnight guests can be de-shed on the last day before pick-up. Either way there is no evaluation for grooming; only daycare, Academy, overnight stays and walks need one.
At Dogtown
The bath behind the de-shed
Shed Release rides on a Dogtown bath, and the bath fits inside a daycare day or the last morning of an overnight stay.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does Shed Release stop my dog shedding?
How long does a de-shedding appointment take?
Should I shave my husky or golden for the summer?
Can I book Shed Release on its own without a bath?
How often can my dog have Shed Release?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Get the undercoat out of the house.
Book a bath for your dog's size online or in the Dogtown app and add Shed Release for $10. Spring and fall slots fill first, so book at the start of the blow.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
